Visitors to downtown Miami cannot help but notice the Freedom Tower. Built in 1925 it was first the home of Miami News and Metropolis. Originally the 255-foot tower had a bright light that shone down on the bay like a lighthouse.

In the 1950′s the newspaper went out of business, and the building was empty until the 1960′s when it was purchased by the US Government to process a large number of Cuban refugees who were fleeing Communist Cuba. Documents were processed in the building, and refugees were offered free medical and dental treatment. When the rush of refugees came to an end in the early 70′s, the US Government moved out. Many owners later, in 1997, Jorge Mas Canosa bought the tower building for a reported $1.4 million, restored the property and turned it into a museum and library.

Freedom Tower was eventually inherited by Miami Dade College, and is used today for exhibits. The original building and tower will remain preserved, though there is talk about expanding it.

If you visit Miami, you will find it on Biscayne Boulevard across the street from the American Airline Arena and Bayside Marketplace.

If your summer plans include flying with your children without another adult, careful planning is the key to making your flights as pleasant an experience as possible. Here are some tips:

http://www.free-clipart-pictures.net

1. Book direct flights to your destination. Avoid connecting flights whenever possible.
2. If you can fly on JetBlue, your child will have his own TV to watch! (No I do not work for JetBlue. I just love that airline!)
3. Book your tickets online and choose your seats way in advance Let your children age 2 and up sit near a window so they can look out. Don’t reserve seats in an Emergency Exit row!
4. Check your airline’s website for baggage and carry on rules.
5. Check your luggage and make your carry on is as light as possible.
6. Bring toys that hold your child’s attention depending on age (crayons or colored pencils and a new coloring book, blank paper, book, Magna Doodle, small electronic game) Pack at least one new item  to surprise your child while in the air.
7. Don’t forget a security blanky, favorite stuffed animal or doll.
8. Avoid toys that will make a lot of noise and disturb other passengers.
9. Pack small bags of snacks, but not drinks for older kids. Avoid food that will make them hyper like mega sugar and chocolate. Baby formula, breast milk and baby food are allowed on board in “reasonable quantities” but must be displayed at security for inspection.
10. Give yourself plenty of extra time at the airport. Arrive at least 1 and 1/2 hours before flight time so you do not have to rush.
11. If possible have another adult help you in the terminal with checking your luggage and watching the children.
12. Insist that young children stay in the stroller until you get to the security line.
13. Have your ID and boarding passes ready in hand while approaching the security line so you do not have to dig through your luggage to find them.
14. Buy drinks and more snacks in the terminal if need be for your children to bring on board. Once your flight takes off, it may be a while before the beverage cart goes down the aisle.
15. Tell the airline representative at the gate if you’ll need assistance boarding.
16. Check your stroller at the end of the gangplank just before entering the plane. Don’t forget it on your way out!
17. Don’t let your children run down the aisle of the plane. Get the children seated as soon as possible.
18. Don’t give them every toy you’ve packed at once. Spread them out along with snacks over the duration of the flight.
19. When the flight has landed, wait for other passengers to get off first. It will be less stressful for you.
20. Keep young children in the stroller on the way to and at the baggage claim.
21. Ask someone for help getting your luggage off the belt. Surely other passengers will be happy to assist you, since they will see you have your hands full with your children.
22. If family members or friends are meeting you at the airport, arrange for someone to run in and help you with the kids or take them to the car while you bring the luggage out.

The way air travel is these days, be prepared for the unexpected – bad weather, delays, cancellations, overbooked flights and more. Leave home with the mindset that you will go with the flow and the “inconvenience” of getting there and back is well worth the journey.

Going through old photos with my daughter recently, I was surprised by her comment:

“I never thought of you and Daddy having a life before me and you each having a life before you knew each other.”

She looked at me as if I were a complete stranger.  “You had fun before I was born?” she asked.

This is an interesting concept I am sure many children come to realize when they are teenagers. The best way to share your history is with photos. They make our past lives more real, more understandable. It made me think about the lives of my parents before I was born. I’d heard stories about their friends and travels, but there were not many photos from their pre-parent lives. I found myself wishing I had asked more detailed questions and heard more of their stories before they passed away.

My daughter and I had a great time going through my photos from childhood as I shared tales about my adventures and other family members she never had a chance to meet.  It was a great way to spend part of a rainy day. I encourage you to do the same with your kids – when they are old enough to listen.

Me at age 4 (on the left) and my sister, Shelley, at my Aunt’s wedding in Montreal.

Our shoes were spray painted aqua to match our dresses and the paint peeled off in chunks as we walked down the aisle, leaving an aqua trail. That’s our Mom in the back of us watching to make sure we were not walking too fast.

I remember needing to sit down as soon as I reached the altar. I was worn out from the short walk down the aisle. I remember that day so well, as if it were just a few years ago.

Bald eagles are a spectacular sight up close. I photographed this one from a few feet away at the wildlife center at Miami Science Museum. He has a wing injury and is being nursed back to health. Check out those talons! Eagle talons are used for both slicing their prey and carrying them. Yikes!

These eagles got their name because the word “bald” was at one time used for meaning plain or white. More than half of North America’s bald eagles live in Alaska and Canada’s British Colombia. Apparently the abundance of salmon is what attracts them to this region. In addition to different kinds of fish, a small percentage of the bald eagle diet also also includes small mammals.

Did you know it was once believed that there were 2 subspecies of bald eagles – Southern and Northern? It turns out that there really aren’t. It is just that eagles who live in hot climates like Florida are smaller in size.

In 2007  the bald eagle was taken off the endangered species list. They are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Check out The American Eagle Foundation website for more info about our National Bird.

Planning a picnic or BBQ? Here is one of my family’s favorite recipes I created . . .

Mrs. Glade’s Warm Apple Cider Vinegar Potato Salad

http://free-clipart.net/

This is like eating mashed potato salad with a zing. Yum! It tastes the bet warm or hot, but is also good refrigerated. Your family will love it.

• 3 lbs. of red potatoes (quartered) I prefer organic
• 1/2 large sweet onion chopped fine
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup real mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1/2 Tsp salt
• 1/4 Tsp pepper

Boil potatoes until very soft and starting to fall apart. Drain in colander. Chop onions and set aside. In large boil whisk all the other ingredients. put hot potatoes along with onions into sauce and mix well. Serve hot or warm. If you like dill, you can chop some fresh and put it into the sauce. Serve with extra salt and pepper.

Today my family visited the Miami Science Museum. We were captivated by a wall of Eco Art created by artist Xavier Cortada, part of the environmental Reclamation Project. Mangrove seeds are raised in these plastic holders, which are mounted to a wall. When they reach the right size, volunteers will plant them in the ground to revive some of our mangrove forests.

Mangroves are trees that grow with their roots showing above ground. They grow in coastal areas of tropical and subtropical climates in brackish water (a combination of both fresh and salt water). The roots provide a perfect habitat for oysters, crabs, barnacles as well as other fish and plants, and the complex root system plays an important role in the flow of water. Decomposition of organic matter in the water around the roots results in a distinctive and rather unpleasant odor.

The Miami Science Museum is just one of ten places where these seedlings have been sprouted and displayed as art. Please click here to learn more about the project and the artist. Imagine having a wall like that on your patio at home. Awesome!

Celebrations are what life is all about. The milestones of life are what we remember as we get older and graduation is one of the most important. Here are my favorite ideas for graduation gifts for every age from least to most expensive:

Elementary School

1. Wall Map
2. A Party with Friends and family
3. New Bicycle

Middle School

1. World Globe
2. Cell Phone
3. Special Trip (NY City?)

High School

1. Digital Camera
2. PDA (iphone?)
3. Laptop Computer

College

1. Brief Case
2. Nice Watch
3. Car

For every age, a scrapbook with photos and personal treasures is a great gift as well. When all else fails, you cannot go wrong with money as a gift!

If someone had said to me 20 years ago that people all over the world were soon going to share intimate details, photos and videos about every aspect of their lives with anyone and everyone on the planet, my first reaction would have been, “Why would anyone want to do that?”

Flash forward to the present day. Not only are adults offering up personal information in epidemic volumes, but so are teens and children. Obviously, being a writer myself, I’m all for personal expression, but how much is too much information? Safety is certainly a big issue, and there is some great info out there to help parents. Check out this fabulous FBI website to help you get started.

http://www.school-clipart.com

But how else can the internet hurt you and your kids?

I watched a program a few months ago about a 20-year-old college student who filmed herself drinking, stumbling like an idiot and violently vomiting. Then she posted that video on her social networking page. The scariest part of all this is that she really did not see anything wrong with her behavior, and she thought it was fun to share her experience with the world. This poses several questions:

1. How will that video affect her chances of getting into graduate school, a scholarship or getting a job?
2. What makes that girl think that anyone wants to watch her puke? (I’m afraid to know this answer.)
3. Why would this girl go on TV to discuss this so that millions more people can watch her make an ass of herself?
4. What sort of IQ are we dealing with here? (Don’t want to know that either.)

The truth is that the first place EVERYONE goes to get information about someone else is the internet. Colleges, employers, scholarship and awards organizations, background checkers and more will all search your name when you are applying for their services. And they indeed will find you if you or anyone else has posted info about you. You can rest assured that whatever they do find will influence their opinions of you as well. They want to see the good as well as the bad – the really bad. And the bad will be used against you.

So make sure there is no bad. If there is a single person out there on the planet you would potentially be horrified to see what you have posted, don’t post it. Take it off! Search the names of the people in your family and see what is out there about them. Take action if it is inappropriate. Read your children’s social networking pages. Know who they are connecting with on the internet. Look for inappropriate photos, personal info like address, home phone or cell phone and too many personal details. Other things to look for are negative comments or opinions your child may have posted about other students or teachers – and negative comments others may have posted about them. Ask your children about this as well. Explain to them how postings can hurt them. Tell them they can be interesting without exploiting themselves or others.

Sure, the internet can be a wonderful learning tool. But don’t let others learn something about you this way that can be detrimental to your future. Even if what you post is not that terribly negative, it still can be inappropriate.

Does anybody really need to know that you just burped up the peppers you ate for dinner and have an unpleasant taste in your mouth? Too much information is too much information.

We’ve had our last author visit of the school year, so we are getting ready for our summer programs:

1. We have created a program to visit libraries in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
2. We’ve now got a program to visit summer camps in South Florida as well.
3. We’ve got our “I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest!” in full swing! Tell the teachers, librarians and children in your life all about it!  Click here for rules.
4. And course we will be getting ready for the next school year with updated programs and props!

Send us an email for more info or flyers about any of the above. smartpoodle@comcast.net

I am a firm believer that American children need to be exposed to career information from any eary age. There are so many choices out there that it is mind boggling! Today I thought it would be fun for parents and kids to learn what different “ologists” do – you know, scientists with “ologist” at the end of their titles. These are worth researching further with your kids. Here are the more unique ones:

http://www.fundraw.com

• apiologist – one who studies bees
• bacteriologist – one who studies bacteria
• cartologist - one who makes maps
• cetologist – one who studies whales
• entomologist - one who studies insects
• eschatologist - one who studies death and judgement, as it pertains to theology
• ethologist – one who studies animal behavior
• etiology - one who studies causes or origins of disease
• graphologist - one who studies handwriting
• herpetologist - one who studies  reptiles
• hippologist - one who studies  horses
• ichthyologist - one who studies fish (a branch of zoology)
• morphologist - one who studies the form and structure of organisms (a branch of biology)
• mycologist - one who studies fungi (a branch of biology)
• myrmecologist - one who studies ants
• nephologist - one who studies clouds and cloud formation (a branch of metoerology)
• ornithologist – one who studies birds
• ophiologist - one who studies snakes
• otologist - one who studies the anatomy of the ear (a branch of biomedicine)
• paleoanthropologist - one who studies ancient humans as found in fossils
• paleozoologist - one who studies animals fossils and ancient animal life
• petrologist - one wo studies rocks to learn about past climates and geography
• phenologist - one who studies biological phenomena as it relates to climatic conditions
• philologist - one who studies historical literature or the classics
• phonologist – one who studies sounds and patterns in a language
• phytosociologist - one who studies the relationships of plants and their characteristics and classifications
• pomologist - one who studies and grows fruit
• pyrologist - one who studies the properties of heat and fire
• seismologist- one who studies earthquakes and the earth’s properties
• somatologist – one who studies the anatomy of the human body
• speleologist - one who studies and explores caves
• vulcanologist - one who studies volcanoes